Keeping Up With Technology

MATERIALS: New Blow Moldable TPV
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Alliance Polymers and Services LLC has introduced its first extrusion blow moldable TPV for automotive, aircraft, and other vehicle parts such as hollow boots, bellows, and ducts.

MATERIALS: PPS Grade for Food Handling
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Ticona’s Fortron FX432T1 PPS now complies with U.S. FDA and EU food-contact regulations, allowing its use for food handling applications such as conveyor systems.

A New Look at Evaluating Fill Times For Injection Molding
One of the important process parameters to establish and record for any injection molded part is its injection or fill time. Research research reveals the limitations of popularly taught methods of establishing this critical parameter.

Purging High-Performance Engineering Resins
One of the fastest growing markets for commercial purging compounds is purging high-performance engineering resins. It is also one of the most difficult challenges, since both mechanical and chemical purging compounds have limitations when it comes to heat stability, residence time, flow restrictions, etc.

Not Your Father’s Purging Agent
There are two important messages for today’s processors with regard to purging. First, as we near the peak of the “rapid improvement” stage of purging technology, the products now available are not the same old purging compounds of the past. Second, the “low-hanging fruit” has been picked—future technical improvements will likely be incremental and future improvements in productivity will require a shift in focus, toward transition planning and process optimization.

First Biobased PBT Production Under Way
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Lanxess in Germany recently made a production run of Pocan PBT using 20 metric tons of biobased BDO (1,4-butanediol) made with the commercially-proven process developed by San Diego-based Genomatica.

FKuR Distributes Braskem’s Green PE in U.S. & Canada
WEB EXCLUSIVE: FKuR, a leading compounder of bioplastics compounds for flexible packaging, and global biopolymer leader Braskem have expanded their distribution agreement , with FKuR now the official distribution partner for Braskem’s Green PE in USA and Canada.

Ineos & Sasol Joint Venture for U.S. HDPE Plant
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Ineos Olefins & Polymers and Sasol North America are building a world-scale HDPE plant that will produce nearly 940 million lb/yr of HDPE using Ineos’ Innovene S bimodal slurry technology by the end of 2015.

PEEK Chosen for Nuclear Reactor Seals
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Victrex PEEK was selected by EGC Critical Components for a seal system designed to prevent nuclear reactor coolant leaks during an emergency shutdown.